fellow of Merton, in his Latin memoir of the founder. Hearne appears to have been of the same opinion.

He is said to have been educated at Reading, but probably only in the elements of writing and arithmetic, as at the age of twelve he was apprenticed to a tradesman of merchant of London. His apprenticeship lasted ten years. during which he behaved so well that his master, at his death, left him an hundred pounds. With this, and the patrimony bequeathed by his father, who died in 1523, he commenced business on his own account, and in a few years rose to wealth and honours, and became distinguished by acts of munificence. In 1542 he gave to the corpora tion of Coventry 1000l. which, with 400l. of their own, was laid out in the purchase of lands, from the rents of which provision was made for twelve poor men, and a sum raised to be lent to industrious young men of Coventry. This estate in 1705 yielded 930l. yearly, He gave also to the mayor and corporation of Bristol, by deed, the sum of 2000l. and the same to the town of Leicester, to purchase estates, and raise a fund from which sums of money might be lent to industrious tradesmen, not only of those but of other places specified, which were to receive the benefits of the fund in rotation, and by the same the poor were to be relieved in times of scarcity. These funds are now in a most prosperous state, and judiciously administered.

Sir Thomas White was sheriff of London in 1546, and lord mayor in 1553, when he was knighted by queen Mary for his services, in preserving the peace of the city during the rebellion of sir Thomas Wyatt. Of the rest of his history, or personal character, sentiments, and pursuits, no particulars have been recovered, except what may be inferred from his many and wise acts of liberality. He must have been no common man who showed the first example of devoting the profits of trade to the advancement of learning. He died at Oxford, Feb. 11, 1566, in the seventysecond year of his age, and was buried in the chapel of his college.

Some accounts relate that toward the latter-end of his life he fell into extreme poverty, a circumstance, Mr. Coates observes, that seems very improbable, as, by his will, he left 400 marks to his widow, and 3000l. to St. John's, with legacies to the children of his brother Ralph, VOL. XXXI.

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and the Merchant Taylors' Company of which he was a member, to a considerable amount.

He was twice married; first to a lady whose name was Avisia or Avis, but whose family is unknown. She died in 1557 without issue, and was buried, with great pomp and ceremony, in the parish church of St. Mary Aldermanbury, His second wife was Joan, one of the daughters and coheiresses of John Lake of London, gent. the widow of sir Ralph Warren, knight, twice lord mayor of London, by whom she had children. She survived sir Thomas, and died in 1573, and was buried by her first husband in the church of St. Bennet Sherehog, London. There is a portrait of him in the town-hall of Leicester, habited as lord mayor of London, with a gold chain, and collar of S S.. black cap, pointed beard, his gloves in his right hand, and on the little finger of his left, a ring. There are similar portraits in the town-hall at Salisbury, at Reading, Merchant Taylors', and St. John's college.

At what time he first projected the foundation of a college is not known. His original intention was to have founded it at Reading, but he relinquished that in favour of Oxford, and on May 1, 1555, obtained a licence from Philip and Mary, empowering him, to the praise and honour of God, the Virgin Mary, and St. John Baptist, to found a college, for divinity, philosophy, and the arts; the members to be, a president, thirty scholars, graduate or non-graduate, or more or less as might be appointed in the statutes; and the site to be Bernard-college, in the parish of St. Mary Magdalen, without the north gate of the city of Oxford, and to be called St. John Baptist college in the university of Oxford.

St. Bernard's college was founded by archbishop Chichele for scholars of the Cistertian order who might wish to study in Oxford, but had no place belonging to their order in which they could associate together, and be relieved from the inconveniencies of separation in halls and inns, where they could not keep up their peculiar customs and statutes. On representing this to the king, Henry VI. he granted letters patent, dated March 20, 1437, giving the archbishop leave, to erect a college to the honour of the Virgin Mary and St. Bernard in Northgate-street, in the parish of St. Mary Magdalen, on ground containing about five acres, which he held of the king in capite. According to Wood, quoted by Stevens, it was built much in the same

manner as All Souls college, but the part they inhabited was only the front, and the south-side of the first court, as the hall, &c. was not built till 1502, nor the chapel completed and consecrated until 1530. Their whole premises at the dissolution were estimated at only two acres, and to be worth, if let to farm, only twenty-shillings yearly, but as the change of owners was compulsory, we are not to wonder at this under-valuation. It was granted by Henry VIII. to Christ-church, from whence it came to sir Thomas White, who obtained from Christ-church a grant of the premises, May 25, by paying twenty shillings yearly for it, and they covenanted with him that he should chuse his first president from the canons or students of Christ-church, and that afterwards the fellows of St. John's should chuse a president from their own number, or from Christ-church, to be admitted and established by the dean and chapter, or in their absence by the chancellor or vice-chancellor of Oxford; and they farther wished to covenant that the dean and chapter should be visitors of the new college. With some reluctance, and by the persuasion of his friend Alexander Belsire, canon of Christ-church, and first president, Sir Thomas was induced to consent to these terms, but the last article respecting the visitor must have been withdrawn, as he appointed sir William Cordall, master of the Rolls, visitor for life; and the right of visitation was afterwards conferred on the bishops of Winchester.

In the same year, May 29, 1555, sir Thomas, by virtue of his licence, established his college, and his first society consisted of Alexander Belsire, B. D. and canon of Christchurch, president; Ralph Wyndon, Edward Chambre, and, Henry D'Awbeney, masters of arts, scholars. For their maintenance he endowed the house with 367. yearly, due to him from the city of Coventry, and with various manors, estates, and advowsons in Berkshire and Oxfordshire. In 1557 he obtained of Philip and Mary another charter, dated March 5, in which he made considerable additions to the endowment, and specified theology, philosophy, canon and the civil law, and the arts, as the studies to be pursued.

He next gave them a body of statutes, which are sup posed to have been drawn up by sir William Cordall, by the founder's desire, and were taken, as to substance, from the statutes of New-college. According to these, the society was limited to a president, fifty fellows and scholars,

of whom twelve were to study law, three chaplains, three clerks, and six choristers; but the chaplains, clerks, and choristers were discontinued in 1577, owing to a decrease of the funds for their maintenance. Of the fifty fellows, two were to be chosen from Coventry, two from Bristol, two from Reading, and one from Tunbridge; the remaining forty-three from Merchant Taylor's school, London, out of which number six fellowships are reserved for the kindred of the founder.

About this time he enlarged the bounds of the college by the purchase of about four acres, which were inclosed by a wall, by the benefaction of Edward Sprot, LL.B. sometime fellow, who died Aug. 25, 1612. This is commemorated by an inscription over the president's gardendoor, "Edvardus Sprot hujus Coll. Socius, hunc murum suis impensis struxit, 1613." It has already been noticed that the founder left by will 3000l. for the purchase of more lands. On the 17th December 1565, the college was admitted a member of the university, and the society declared partakers of all the privileges enjoyed by other colleges or societies. In 1576, the college purchased the ground before the gate from sir Christopher Brome, knt. lord of Northgate hundred, and enclosed it by a dwarf wall and row of elms, some of which are still standing.'

WHITE (THOMAS), founder of Sion college, London, the son of John White, was born in Temple parish, in the city of Bristol. His family was a branch of the Whites of Bedfordshire. He was entered of Magdalen Hall, Oxford, about 1566, took his degrees in arts, was ordained," and became a noted and frequent preacher. He afterwards settled in London, where he had the living of St. Gre gory's, near St. Paul's, and in 1575 was made vicar of St. Dunstan's, Fleet-street, where his pulpit services were much admired. In 1584 he was licensed to proceed in divinity, and commenced doctor in that faculty. In 1588 he had the prebend of Mora, in the church of St. Paul, conferred upon him, and in 1590 was made treasurer of the church of Sarum by the queen's letters. In 1591 he was made canon of Christ Church, and in 1593, canon of Windsor. died March 1, 1623-4, according to Reading, but Wood says 1622-3, and was buried in the chancel of St. Dun

He

1 Chalmers's Hist. of Oxford.-Coates's History of Reading.-Wilson's Hist.. of Merchant Taylor's school.

stan's church. In his will he ordered a grave-stone to be placed over his remains, with a short inscription, but this was either neglected, or has been destroyed. As soon as an account of his death arrived at Oxford, the heads of the university, in honour of his memory as a benefactor, appointed Mr. Price, the first reader of the moral philosophy lecture, to deliver an oration, which, with several encomiastic verses by other members of the university, was printed under the title of "Schola Moralis Philosophia Oxon. in funere Whiti pullata," Oxon. 1624, 4to.

Dr. White published, 1. "Two Sermons at St. Paul's in the time of the Plague," 8vo. 2." Funeral Sermon on sir Henry Sidney," Lond. 1586, 8vo. 3. "Sermon at St. Paul's Cross on the queen's day (Nov. 17) 1589," ibid. 1589, 8vo. But his memory is chiefly to be venerated for bis works of charity, and his liberal encouragement of learning. In 1613 he built an hospital in Temple parish, Bristol, endowing it with 927. per ann. He also founded the moral philosophy lecture at Oxford, for the maintenance of which he gave the manor of Langdon Hills, in the county of Essex, which was conveyed by him to the university, under the form of a purchase, by his deed enrolled, bearing date June 20, 1621. Out of the revenues of this manor, besides an annual stipend of 100%. to the philosophy lecturer, he appointed several sums to be paid to other uses; as, to Christ Church library; to the Tuesday's preachers of the university; to the Easter sermons; to the prisoners in the castle, &c. He founded also small exhibitions for four poor scholars, and for five divinity students of Magdalen Hall, most of which are still continued. But his greatest benefaction was to Sion college. He directed in his will that 30007. should be applied in building a college and alms-house on the ruins of Elsynge priory, London-wall. His executors accordingly purchased the site of this priory for 2,450l and erected Sion college. The charters of incorporation are dated July 3, 6 Charles I. and June 20,16 Charles II. By these authorities, a president, two deans, and four assistants, with all the rectors, vicars, &c. of the city of London and suburbs, were constituted a corporation. At the same time, alms-houses for ten men, and as many women, were established. Dr. White had appropriated by will separate funds for the maintenance of these poor people. The library, now the most copious in the city of London, was principally the foundation of the rev.